Re: rebuilding the grid with solar

The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has accepted the Hawaiian Electric Companies' plan charting the near-term actions that will lead to 100 percent of Hawaii's power generation needs coming from renewable resources by 2045.

On Molokai, Maui Electric is working with the community on options for reaching 100 percent renewable portfolio standard by 2020.

Re: rebuilding the grid with solar

I have 48 panels, on a cement slab on the ground, with earth berms taller than the panels on each side of the slab. No damage.
I am shocked the panels by the Animal Shelter on STX survived.
I am not surprised the STT panels by Home Depot or the Federal Building STX were destroyed. Poor design for hurricanes.

Re: rebuilding the grid with solar

QuoteBeeski
I have 48 panels, on a cement slab on the ground, with earth berms taller than the panels on each side of the slab. No damage.
I am shocked the panels by the Animal Shelter on STX survived.
I am not surprised the STT panels by Home Depot or the Federal Building STX were destroyed. Poor design for hurricanes.

I have 30 panels on my roof. Mike Bruno installed them. I actually think his installation made my roof stronger. Not one was damaged.

Re: rebuilding the grid with solar

The way that the designs were for the solar farms made no sense...... With the way that the panels were angled, combined with the fact that the bases were not enclosed, it ensured that you basically had a large array of solar sails.... If the bases had been more blocked off the winds would not have gotten underneith the panels as much...

Re: rebuilding the grid with solar

Quotesttanon
The way that the designs were for the solar farms made no sense...... With the way that the panels were angled, combined with the fact that the bases were not enclosed, it ensured that you basically had a large array of solar sails.... If the bases had been more blocked off the winds would not have gotten underneith the panels as much...

Re: rebuilding the grid with solar

Quotesinglefin
In regards to Hawaii's plan,
I believe a lot of their plan includes tapping into active/dormant volcanos for a heat source to create steam for their turbines.

Perhaps but

"To maintain reliability of electric service, the plan calls for adding energy storage and other grid technologies to accompany new renewable resources.

The plan includes continued growth of private rooftop solar and describes the work to expand and upgrade grid infrastructure and to use the newest generations of inverters, control systems and energy storage to help reliably integrate an estimated total of 165,000 private systems by 2030, more than twice today’s total of 79,000.

The Hawaiian Electric Companies already have the highest percentage of customers using rooftop solar of any utility in the U.S. The national average is one percent while the percentage in the Hawaiian Electric Companies service territories is 17 percent."

Energy storage isn't needed for geothermal which is available 24/7 on demand.

Re: rebuilding the grid with solar

It sounds great, really.
But like everything else, it comes down to the one thing the the USVI dosen't have...
$$$

I see a lot of new telephone poles and line crews around and that's great, but I guess the price tag of burying lines along the main roads was unfortunately too prohibitive?
That sounded like a great idea, but again...
$$$

Re: rebuilding the grid with solar

Burying the power lines will take time (and $$$$) that we don't have right now. We need to get power restored as quickly as possible. There's been no indication that burying the lines has been forgotten. Mapp has a team to look at all options to help hurricane proof the VI in the future including burying the lines. Likely part of the fed disaster assistance funding Mapp is lobbying for would go to burying the power lines, at least the main feeders.

Re: rebuilding the grid with solar

I read "the source" article about the advisory board last night. Sounds like a good thing, lots of good people involved. I'm sure ideas and good intentions will come out of it, I only hope there's a way to secure funding for the improvements we need.

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